


Episode 9 - The Library

by RobertBruceScott



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Ancient Library, Biological Warfare, Computer Viruses, Denobulan Nail Care, F/F, F/M, Genocide, Giant Talking Birds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-10-17 11:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 11,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20620028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobertBruceScott/pseuds/RobertBruceScott
Summary: The U.S.S. Hunter travels to the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds to seek out an ancient library to solve the weaponized virus threatening the bolian civilization..“Welcome to the Enterprise, your honor,” Riker said with his customary suave warmth.“Oh Will, you can call me Minerva,” Irons said.“I wouldn’t want to presume…”Irons briskly stepped up to Riker, took his bearded jaw in her hand and inspected his face as though he were a specimen in a jar. “What are you? And what have you done with Will Riker?”.





	1. The Scumuk Virus

Chapter 9 - The Library

_“In the popular imagination, competition for scarce resources is the driving force of evolution - natural selection. But even the most cursory examination of successful species reveals the truth that the fundamental driving force of evolution is not so much competition as symbiosis. The battle for survival is won not by individual species, but by coalitions.” Dr. Kenny Dolphin, _ _The Morality of Hybridizing Sentient Species_ _._

9.1  
The Scumuk Virus

“Seriously - that’s what they’re calling it? The Scumuk virus??” Dr. Tali Shae’s eyes widened and her antennae flexed upward in dismay and anger.  
“Well, no one has come up with an official name for the virus, so that’s what the bolians and even Star Fleet Medical are calling it,” said Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder. “Oh, Dr. Shae, I have some news. Dr. Klox developed a test for the early stage of infection. It does not rule out the possibility of a false positive, but the chance of a false negative is very low.”

The medical team, the executive staff and the ground operations team were gathered in the large surgery. The executive conference room was not large enough to support a meeting that included nearly half the crew.

“We will not be using that name,” said Justice Minerva Irons. “It is bad enough that the greatest doctor and most decorated officer in Star Fleet history is ending his career in ignominy and madness. We will not add insult to injury by allowing his name be used for a bad pun.”  
“What do we call it?” asked Dr. Jazz.  
“Following the end of this meeting, you have one hour to figure that out,” said Commander David Pepper. “Give it a name that is descriptive without being insulting and push it out to Star Fleet Medical for approval and official designation.”  
“We’ll take that as a departmental assignment,” Tali Shae concluded. “Did they preserve any of the Admiral’s notes before they destroyed the Atul Goel?”  
Lt. Tauk had been coughing very quietly since the beginning of the meeting. He allowed himself a single, louder cough, then said, “They preserved everything. Dr. Klox downloaded the entire ship’s memory core, all of the medical records and all of the logs into a secure, non-transmitting computer on the quarantine unit before giving the self-destruct order. His people have been transcribing logs by hand into another computer - they have plenty of work left to do. But we have already learned a few interesting things. T’Lon?”  
2nd Lt. T’Lon took up the narrative. “We had a number of questions and Investigator Buttons has been in contact with Dr. Klox to obtain some of those answers. First, it was Admiral Scumuk who removed Dr. Boles from the Atul Goel’s roster. Investigator Shran has been following up with Dr. Boles and put together his itinerary since arriving on Paleonus V. Ensign Tolon and his team have been going over the information gleaned from the P5 research stations - Dr. Klox was able to fill a lot of gaps in our data about those research stations, particularly the disease progression. Hunter - display the history.”

In response to T’Lon’s request, a holographic display of Paleonus V appeared at the front of the room. As the planet turned, each of the research stations was identified and popped out. The planet faded, leaving a simple grid depicting the 14 research stations as individual, white boxes.   
T’Lon continued. “Dr. Boles arrived at P5’02 32 days ago by shuttle. According to his account, he was given a hypospray unit and instructed to inoculate himself against potential local pathogens, but not to take the injection until after disembarking the shuttle.” As the assistant director of ground operations mentioned P5’02, the holographic box depicting research station #2 changed color from white to dark blue.  
“That is a fairly standard precaution to avoid potential exposure to shipboard crew,” said Dr. Sif.  
“But only used in cases where highly contagious and fast growing pathogens have been documented,” Dr. Chrissiana Trei countered. “And no such pathogens have been identified on Paleonus V.”  
“Dr. Boles said he was warned about a new virus being spread by the bite of a small insect,” said Lynhart Shran.  
T’Lon picked up the narrative again. “Dr. Boles transported from P5’02 to P5’12, then spent the next 29 days walking across the continent from P5’12 to P5’11. He had his communicator turned off to save power. The staff at P5’02 and P5’12 were the first to get sick. But not before some had transported from those stations to P5’03, P5’04, P5’09, P5’11, P5’13 and P5’14.” The boxes depicting research stations #12, 3, 4, 9, 11, 13 and 14 each changed from white to dark blue as T’Lon mentioned them. “Staff in those stations got sick and declared a planet-wide quarantine and emergency. While no personnel made any further transfers, they did transfer medical data from their scanners. Within a few days the virus was detected in all the stations. That’s when they put out an emergency call to Star Fleet Medical. But Dr. Lana Eto, one of the human survivors from P5’14, felt that the crew from the Atul Goel were acting strangely. She had served with Commander Pepper on the U.S.S. Archer…”  
Pep looked up in surprise. “I remember her. I was a 2nd Lieutenant at the time. She was a researcher, sweet kid. But she was only on board for a few weeks. I suppose I should put in a call to her.”  
“Evidently you made an impression – she was the one who put in the emergency call to us. Apparently she had kept up with your assignments,” said T’Lon.

Dr. Tali Shae leaned over and said something very quietly to Justice Irons. Irons responded by rapping a table with her knuckles. “David, please take over this meeting. I will need reports from the department directors. Dr. Tali Shae and I need to put in a call to our bolian counterparts.”  
Irons and Tali Shae stood up and exited the surgery.

9.1

Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter: (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady  
  
Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim

Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
Navigator Johanna Imex  
Navigator Eli Strahl  
Ensign Ethan Phillips  
Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar

Director of Ground Operations - Lt. Tauk  
Asst. Ground Ops Dir. - 2nd Lt. T’Lon   
Investigator Lynhart Shran  
Investigator Buttons N'gumbo  
Ensign Tolon Reeves  
Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys

Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
Transporter Engineer K'rok  
Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
Flight Engineer Tomos  
Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon


	2. Episode 9.2 - Secret Agent Dolphin Kenny Dolphin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
Lt. Kenneth Dolphin strikes out, now in civilian clothing, to find Governor Ivonovic...
> 
> _ Dr. Grevex was smiling. “So, secret agent…”_  
_“Dolphin. Kenny Dolphin…”_  
_“So secret agent Dolphin Kenny Dolphin... We have been planning this trip ever since Birlaura heard of the cult of the Sisco - which was actually some time before your Captain Sisco ascended - or whatever the bajorans think he did...”_  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
Yeah - the "Bond... James Bond" gag is an old one, but none the worse for wear...

9.2  
Secret Agent Dolphin Kenny Dolphin

Dr. Kenny Dolphin was out of uniform. For his journey to Pilgrim’s Landing on the Colony of New Hope, he had chosen the civilian style of clothing he had worn while teaching at Harvard University 15 years previously. The patterns for these garments had long been stored in his personnel file and were readjusted to his current measurements – he was actually somewhat leaner in his 50’s than he had been in his 30’s. He had chosen an old fashioned dark gray 3-piece suit with a burgundy shirt. And highly polished red-wing shoes much like those worn by Investigator Shran - only replicator made.   
The bolian pilot who transported him in one of the Vyvya’s double-size shuttles had remarked on his choice of colors, but it was only polite banter. Bolians tended to prefer color combinations that were so far into the blue spectrum that they could not be appreciated by the human eye and just appeared to be subtle variations of black. But then Kenny’s shirt might have appeared the same to his pilot.   
The shuttle had docked with a bolian freighter, on which he had booked passage to the Deep Space 9 station near Bajor. Dolphin joined a large number of denobulan doctors in the passenger lounge. Denobulans were almost as gregarious as bolians and it took seconds for the doctors seated near him to ferret out that Dolphin was coming from where they were going to.

“You don’t look much like a Star Fleet lieutenant.” The smiling, blonde-haired denobulan woman was lounging next to Dolphin with two of her husbands nearby, along with another of their wives.   
“I’m undercover,” Dolphin teased.  
“Ooh - secret agent… how intriguing.” Birlaura’s hair was several shades lighter than her skin, which was not unusual with denobulans - one of her husbands, Dr. Trism Grevex, had even lighter hair - almost white and even darker skin - almost black.   
Dr. Grevex was smiling. “So, secret agent…”  
“Dolphin. Kenny Dolphin…”  
“So secret agent Dolphin Kenny Dolphin, it appears that you are about to inherit at least part of the anniversary celebration tour that Birlaura and I had been planning – at least for the 16 days it will take to travel from here to Deep Space 9.”  
“And Phlesc and me,” added Velesa, the other denobulan female seated nearby. “Since Birlaura is not a medical doctor, she cannot join us on this mission. The bolians needed non-bolian doctors to work in their quarantine bio-labs because of how deadly the Scumuk virus is to bolians. They put out the call and we respond.”  
Dolphin raised his eyebrows. “How do you know the virus isn’t just as deadly to denobulans?”  
“We don’t,” answered Dr. Phlesc.  
“We’re about to find that out,” added Dr. Grevex.  
“My husbands have such wonderful bedside manner, don’t you think?” asked Birlaura.  
“Deep Space 9 doesn’t sound like the most romantic getaway for an anniversary celebration,” Dolphin observed.  
“Oh, our celebration was to be on Bajor,” Birlaura rejoined. “I’m a cultural anthropologist. I’m very much looking forward to studying the cult of the Sisco. You Star Fleet officers lead such extraordinary lives.”

At that moment a series of tones sounded in the passenger’s lounge, then an announcement: “The shuttle for the Paleonus system will be leaving in 15 minutes. Passengers departing for the Paleonus system should begin boarding now.”

“Well, that’s our cue,” said Dr. Grevex. He slapped his knees, then stood up. Kenny Dolphin stood up along with the other denobulans. Grevex approached Dolphin, put his hands on Dolphin’s shoulders, and brought his face very close.  
Dolphin deliberately calmed himself and remained very calm as Dr. Grevex leaned in and sniffed his ears and his neck. Grevex turned toward his wives and his co-husband. “I like the smell of this man.” He turned back toward Dolphin. “Secret agent Dolphin Kenny Dolphin, may I ask a favor of you?”  
“You may ask…” Dolphin said, feeling more than a little wary.  
“We have been planning this trip ever since Birlaura heard of the cult of the Sisco - which was actually some time before your Captain Sisco ascended - or whatever the bajorans think he did.” He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially in Dolphin’s ear. “I was planning to spoil Birlaura along the way. She loves having her toenails and fingernails trimmed and cared for. I was planning to do that daily. Would you do this small favor for us?”  
“That’s rather, um, intimate, isn’t it?” asked Dolphin.  
“She likes your scent. So do I. It will be fine. You should easily be able to find a tutorial. You’ll want to get denobulan nail care right the first time…”  
“I, um…”  
“Thank you so much, Dolphin Kenny Dolphin. This is where we part ways. My second wife, our co-husband and I are off to risk our lives to clean up your mess.”  
Dr. Grevex swept out with a merry smile. Dr. Velesa and Dr. Phlesc stopped briefly to sniff Dolphin’s ears and neck, Velesa on his left and Phlesc on his right; they nodded approvingly.   
Dolphin found himself spinning slowly around to watch them leave, then turned around again as Birlaura put her hand on his shoulder. She offered him a glass. “Hartwine?”

9.2


	3. Episode 9.3 - Patient Zero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
Justice Minerva Irons and Dr. Tali Shae convince their bolian counterparts that Dr. Napoleon Boles is Patient Zero and needs to be brought up to a quarantine lab so he can be studied.
> 
> Dr. Boles lays out his conditions for his participation...
> 
> _"...The moment I feel I am being coddled - that you are withholding things from me - everything comes to a crashing stop. I will exercise my legal rights to stop every process involving your use of my body and my person. I also want a lawyer - a damn good one - to help me ensure your cooperation.”_  
_Dr. Phlesc smiled. “This discussion is really well beyond my authority. I will inform the bolians about your demands.”_  
_“And you will advocate for my demands,” Napoleon said, pointing at Phlesc for emphasis. “You will do it because you know it is the right thing to do. You will do it because it is good science and it improves your chances of breaking this virus quickly. You will do it because if you do not, I can and will make this entire process exceptionally difficult for you and everyone else involved...”_  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
I think if you put yourself in Napoleon's shoes, you should probably want the same things he is demanding if you were in that situation...

9.3  
Patient Zero

“Commissioner, we have reason to believe that Dr. Boles is Patient Zero.” Justice Minerva Irons was in her office with Dr. Tali Shae. “It is our recommendation that you remove him from Paleonus V to the quarantine unit you left in the Paleonus system.”

Dr. Gyna Vadaro was also in the Commissioner’s office on the Vyvya. “Do you know whether he was a voluntary participant in all of this - or an innocent victim?”

Tali Shae answered, her antennae bristling, “We do not know. What I do know is that his living immune system is your best bet to beat that virus. I emphasize ‘living’ because at the moment he is festooned on a planet that sports 15’ long predators who would love nothing better than to eat that living immune system you so badly need.”  
Irons gently put her hand on Tali’s arm. It took a moment for Tali to calm down.  
Commissioner Rialina Qotor turned to someone in her office who was off screen. “Contact our Q8 unit in the Paleonus system and get Dr. Boles into quarantine.” Whomever she had just given the order to asked a question which provoked a most un-bolian glare from the Commissioner.   
Irons turned to Tali. “They’re getting him.”   
“If you would, please send us the information that supports your determination about Dr. Boles,” Commissioner Qotor said.   
“I will have my director of ground operations forward the information and his investigations coordinator will provide a briefing with the relevant files organized for you,” Irons replied.  
“We have a number of denobulan researchers arriving within the hour,” Commissioner Qotor continued. “I would like for all of them to participate in this briefing.”  
“It would be useful to organize your researchers by discipline,” said Irons. “I will also have my director of engineering present a seminar on what we have learned about the computer borne properties of this virus. Dr. Tali Shae will host a panel on the biological transmission aspects of the virus.”

\- * -

Dr. Napoleon Boles quite liked the house that the Vyvya’s crew had replicated for him on Paleonus V - a planet he now had all to himself, except for herds of giant herbivores, vicious giant carnivores and 14 research stations that had become mausoleums for the bolian researchers who had come to Paleonus V to work in them. Evidently the Vyvya’s crew thought this house would quite possibly become Dr. Boles’ retirement home. Boles secured the building carefully before contacting the Vyvya’s quarantine unit and signaling he was ready for beamout. Maybe, one day, he would return.   
He touched his communicator, said, “Energize” and watched with some dejection as the well-appointed room that had served as his study for two days vanished in a haze of glowing lights and was replaced by a sterile transporter room. He was only mildly heartened to see that the people operating the transporter, separated from him by a transparent wall, were denobulan, rather than bolian. Denobulans were only slightly less annoying than bolians. For Dr. Boles, being around such relentlessly cheerful people was just exhausting.

“Welcome, Dr. Boles, welcome. I am Dr. Phlesc,” said one of the denobulans. “You are to be our honored guest, the center of attention…”  
“And soon to be your pin-cushion,” Boles concluded. Napoleon Boles had an unusually handsome face for a bolian - more of a human face - the bifurcating ridge was muted, his eyes heavy-lidded without being bulbous. And he had a clean jaw line instead of the heavy jowls that were characteristic of bolians. And for some reason, the combination of genetics that had produced that look had also made his skin tone a deep blue instead of the powder blue more common among bolians.  
“Indeed, Mr. Boles, indeed you will be. We will be removing rather alarming amounts of your blood as well as taking samples of pretty much every tissue your body produces. We will also be cataloguing your unique flora and fauna - the thousands of companion species living in what you call your body that help make you possible. I will do my best to keep the experience from being too painful, however I cannot promise that it will not be profoundly annoying.”  
“I appreciate your honesty, Dr. Phlesc,” Napoleon Boles responded. “Here are my conditions… You must explain every procedure. If you collect my dead skin cells from a room I no longer inhabit, I want you to tell me about it and what you are doing with them. I want to participate in discussions about the design of tests, the results, the potential implications and if, as is very probable, these discussions exceed my understanding, I want someone to tutor me in the relevant science and bring me up to speed so that I can understand it.”  
Dr. Phlesc’s head came up and bobbed a bit in surprise. “That is quite a condition, Dr. Boles. I would probably need to assign at least one researcher - probably two - full time just to keep you informed and catch you up with the many simultaneous, multi-disciplinary efforts to break the Weapon BCBs0 virus.”  
“Then those personnel are part of the team you require for this effort. I have a right to withhold my participation in this effort. At least as long as I am alive, and, as far as I can tell, I am not anywhere close to dying. You want to turn me into a pin cushion, slice out bits of each of my organs, take a pound of flesh, interrogate me? This is the price for my cooperation. I am involved. I am informed. I am part of the team and I know about and understand everything you are doing. The moment I feel I am being coddled - that you are withholding things from me - everything comes to a crashing stop. I will exercise my legal rights to stop every process involving your use of my body and my person. I also want a lawyer - a damn good one - to help me ensure your cooperation.”  
Dr. Phlesc smiled. “This discussion is really well beyond my authority. I will inform the bolians about your demands.”  
“And you will advocate for my demands,” Napoleon said, pointing at Phlesc for emphasis. “You will do it because you know it is the right thing to do. You will do it because it is good science and it improves your chances of breaking this virus quickly. You will do it because if you do not, I can and will make this entire process exceptionally difficult for you and everyone else involved.”  
Dr. Phlesc smiled even wider - far more widely than humanly possible - creating a disturbing effect. “I will do it because you intrigue me, Dr. Boles. And because you are right. It is good science.”

9.3


	4. Episode 9.4 - Section 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
Justice Minerva Irons meets briefly with Will Riker and there is clearly some chemistry... She receives a message from the Director of Section 31.
> 
> _Riker stopped. “It’s been 38 years,” he said, “and you haven’t aged a moment. Thank you for reminding me that you’re immortal.”_  
_Irons put her hand on Riker’s chest. “Will, you are more beautiful today than you were 38 years ago. The man has grown into the looks._  
_Riker broke into one of his 10,000 watt smiles, lighting up the entire hallway..._  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
I am deliberately vague about Will Riker's rank here or whether he is permanently in command of the Enterprise or just on temporary assignment...

9.4  
Section 31

With all the senior officers in endless briefings about the virus and the medical, engineering and ground operations departments pulling double shifts grappling with the organic and computer-borne aspects of the virus as well as its conspiratorial criminal origin, Ensign Ethan Phillips was the ranking officer available to stand watch on the bridge. The captain’s chair was not his favorite place, but he had sat in it often enough.   
Since the Atul Goel had been destroyed, the Vyvya, Malinia and the Hunter were returning to the Paleonus system. Another ship approached at high warp, then matched speeds with the small group of ships traveling at warp 5.

Navigator Johanna Imex was at the tactical station behind the captain’s chair. “We’re being hailed, sir.”  
“Put them through, Johanna,” Phillips said.  
The face that appeared on the screen was well known throughout Star Fleet. “Hunter, this is the U.S.S. Enterprise, Will Riker commanding. We have a request for Justice Irons to come on board.”  
“Enterprise, this is the U.S.S. Hunter, Ethan Phillips commanding. Please standby…”  
Riker pointedly drummed his fingers on the arm of the captain’s chair on the bridge of the Enterprise.  
Ensign Phillips turned around and whispered sharply to Navigator Imex, “Get her before he starts whistling…”  
At that moment, Riker started whistling tunelessly.  
“She’s on the pad,” Imex said.  
Phillips rolled his eyes and said, “Too late…” then turned back to the screen. “She is on the pad awaiting transport, sir.”  
“Thank you,” Riker said with a look of mingled exasperation and boredom, and promptly ended transmission.

On the bridge of the Enterprise, the moment he cut transmission, Will Riker leapt out of the captain’s chair, said, “You have the con,” to no one in particular, and sprinted off the bridge. This left two second lieutenants as the senior officers on the bridge of the Enterprise. Not sure which of them had actually been assigned command, they looked at each other, shrugged, and commenced playing “phaser, deflector, commerce” (a 25th Century derivative of “rock, paper, scissors.”) One lieutenant put his hand forward, palm down, fingers forward in imitation of a phaser rifle. The other put her hand up, fingers splayed. “Deflector blocks phaser,” she said, and took the chair.  
By the time he reached the transporter room, Riker had slowed considerably. At 50 he was still spry enough to leap out of chairs and sprint - but for every such action there was always a consequence and the aches came sooner these days. He managed to smooth a slight limp out of his gait and steady his breathing before striding confidently into the transporter room just as Justice Irons was materializing on the pad.  
“Welcome to the Enterprise, your honor,” Riker said with his customary suave warmth.  
“Oh Will, you can call me Minerva,” Irons said.  
“I wouldn’t want to presume…”  
Irons briskly stepped up to Riker, took his bearded jaw in her hand and inspected his face as though he were a specimen in a jar. “What are you? And what have you done with Will Riker?”  
Riker laughed easily as she released him. He stepped to the door. “If you’ll follow me, please…”  
“And you don’t have to suck that gut in,” Irons continued as they exited the transporter room, rapping his belly lightly with the back of her hand.  
Riker held his breath and squeaked, “Who, me? I would never…” then exhaled loudly, sucked in a deep breath and held it again, earning an easy laugh from Irons.  
“So which one is this?”  
“Your honor?  
“Minerva.”  
“Minerva?”  
“Which Enterprise?”  
“NCC 1701 E. I’ve only crashed one of them…”  
“Well, there’s still time,” Irons observed. “But now I can say I have walked on the decks of every lettered 1701. The A was a museum. I trained on the B and served on the C, briefly.”  
Riker stopped. “It’s been 38 years,” he said, “and you haven’t aged a moment. Thank you for reminding me that you’re immortal.”  
Irons put her hand on Riker’s chest. “Will, you are more beautiful today than you were 38 years ago. The man has grown into the looks.  
Riker broke into one of his 10,000 watt smiles, lighting up the entire hallway.  
“I take it this is the door?” Irons asked.  
“I don’t even know who is on the other side,” Riker responded, his expression becoming serious.  
Irons removed her hand from Riker’s chest. “Old times,” she said, then took a breath. “I suppose I’d better find out. I will find you before I disembark.”  
“Do that,” Riker said, flashed another smile, then turned and left.

Justice Irons waited until Riker had turned the corner, leaving her alone in the hallway, then touched the door chime.

The door opened. The stateroom was dark. A shadowy, hooded figure lurked inside. Irons entered the room. When the door closed, a personal deflector shield was activated, insulating most of the room.   
“Justice Irons.” the voice was electronically modulated. Even without attempting to use her very limited telepathic abilities, Irons could feel a cold well, as though the individual in the back of the room were a blank place in thought space that telepathy could not locate.  
“This message comes from the mouth. Hear. Fleet Admiral Scumuk’s notes have been located. He kept all his notes by his own calligraphy, in his own personally developed cyphers and never entered them into any computer. Over the years he has consistently sent his handwritten notes to be archived at the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds on Cophus II. All of his notes are cyphered. Those cyphers are known to his archivists - all except for the most recent. The admiral changed his cypher about 8 months ago. You have, on your crew, two experts in vulcan cyphers. The admiral’s work must not fall into the wrong hands. No copies may be made of his original writings, nor may they be transmitted in any way. Paper, viewed by eyes only. The admiral made a pivotal discovery. This discovery must be followed back to its source and its potential impact on the security of the Federation evaluated. Action may be needed. Let no boundaries stand in your way. This message comes from the mouth. You are the hand.”  
The deflector screen came down. The shadowy figure was no longer in the room. Without a word, Justice Irons turned and exited. As she wandered the halls of the Enterprise more or less aimlessly, she mulled over what she had heard. “From the mouth” - a Section 31 code phrase used to verify that an order was being passed from the top of the organization.

The Federation Charter had 30 sections. Putatively, a secret 31st section had been written directly into the Federation Charter, creating a secret organization authorized to use any means necessary to protect and preserve the Federation. Less than half of the very few officers in Star Fleet who had ever heard of Section 31 believed this shadowy organization, or the secret codicil for which it was named, actually existed. Irons was one of only four people who knew who the Director of Section 31 was. She had helped recruit him.

And now she had just received an order from him.

9.4


	5. Episode 9.5 - Representing Dr. Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
Dr. Tali Shae receives an assignment she is loathe to take on...
> 
> _Tali Shae fought down the temptation to beg off this assignment - hand holding for a cantankerous Star Fleet lieutenant who should have volunteered himself out of duty alone without an enormous list of conditions. But the truth was that she was worried about Lt. Commander Mlady..._  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
Another tidbit about the mysterious Lt. Cmdr Mlady...

9.5  
Representing Dr. Blue

“Tali, your post of service is the Paleonus system until we return.” Irons really did not like warping into increasing danger without her director of flight operations and now she was going to do so without her medical director as well. But there was really no one else for this job.  
Tali Shae fought down the temptation to beg off this assignment - hand holding for a cantankerous Star Fleet lieutenant who should have volunteered himself out of duty alone without an enormous list of conditions. But the truth was that she was worried about Lt. Commander Mlady.  
“I would feel so much more comfortable about this if she had at least one other person to take care of her,” Tali Shae managed, then sighed. “You’re right, of course, I’m needed here to keep Mr. Blue in line.”  
“You are needed to represent his interests, Tali. Mlady will be just fine. She lived with only David to feed her for nearly 20 years. Feed her well before you disembark and be sure to take your blood thinners with you.”  
“They’re not blood thinners, they’re supplemental…”  
“Tali, I’m not a doctor. They keep your blood from turning into goo, which it will if you don’t have Mlady regularly feeding on you and adjusting your enzymes. We went over this two years ago when you started this thing with her. It’s a lifelong commitment and I can’t keep the two of you together at all times.”  
“I know. I know. I’ll take my drugs. I ought to. I invented them. And I’ll keep Dr. Blue from turning red and throwing a fit.”  
“Do that Tali. I have a library to raid.”

9.5


	6. Episode 9.6 - Doctor, Lawyer, Boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
Dr. Tali Shae meets with her new client, patient and direct report - the irascible Dr. Napoleon Boles..
> 
> _Napoleon Boles reached back with his left hand and massaged his own neck, grimaced. “Put yourself in my position, Lieutenant Commander,” he said. “These people are staring down a virus that could exterminate their species. If their research tells them that removing my liver and using it as a machine to generate antibodies is the last, best hope for their civilization, don’t you think they might seriously consider it? They’re going to be taking pieces of every one of my organs. I won’t be conscious for all of those procedures. I need someone who knows when to tell them to stop and has the authority and the grit to make them stop...”_  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
Napoleon Boles may be very difficult to like, but for tough, self-reliant people like Tali, Napoleon has a certain rough charm...

9.6  
Doctor, Lawyer, Boss

Dr. Tali Shae was given a tour of the quarantine facility before being ushered into a bifurcated conference room to meet with her client and charge. The conference room was a microcosm of the entire facility. There were private areas (monitored by cameras) for quarantined individuals and private workspaces and living quarters for researchers as well, but the majority of the living, working and laboratory spaces in the unit were like this conference room - spaces where the researchers and quarantined patients could interact, separated by a transparent wall.

“So, my commanding officer, my doctor and my lawyer,” said Dr. Napoleon Boles.  
Dr. Boles and Dr. Tali Shae were seated at a conference table on opposite sides of the transparent bifurcating wall that divided the room - and the table - in half.  
“You are a doctor and a lawyer as well,” observed Tali Shae.  
“My doctoring has been limited to cows, groxes and other large herbivores. And for all that, I’m a biologist, not a large-animal veterinarian - although on many occasions I was the next best thing. But I am not an idiot,” Boles rejoined.  
“Any lawyer who represents himself…” Tali Shae started.  
“Has an idiot for a client,” Boles concluded. “I understand you were a judge once.”  
“In the Andorian Imperial Guard, after serving as a forensic expert. I got fed up with judges asking stupid questions, not understanding expert witness testimony. Decided to try it for myself. How did you find out about that?”  
“I had a chance to talk to some of the survivors of the Atul Goel and mentioned that you were my new C.O. One of them got it from one of the survivors of the P5 research stations. They also said you served on the Federation Council.”  
“After I retired from Star Fleet the first time, I went home. I was a little fed up with some of the directives we had been getting from the council. So I got myself appointed to it. So tell me, Lieutenant, what are your concerns about this research that provoked you to ask for resident counsel?”  
Napoleon Boles reached back with his left hand and massaged his own neck, grimaced. “Put yourself in my position, Lieutenant Commander,” he said. “These people are staring down a virus that could exterminate their species. If their research tells them that removing my liver and using it as a machine to generate antibodies is the last, best hope for their civilization, don’t you think they might seriously consider it? They’re going to be taking pieces of every one of my organs. I won’t be conscious for all of those procedures. I need someone who knows when to tell them to stop and has the authority and the grit to make them stop.”  
“A week ago I would have said, ‘these are bolians - they wouldn’t do that’. But I hadn’t met Commissioner Qotor yet. These people are pretty serious,” Tali Shae said.  
“And I would have told you not to be fooled by the bolian public image machine,” Boles concluded. “There is a lot more to these people than meets the eye.”  
“I had a bolian clerk while I was on the Federation Council. They have a way of making everyone feel special. Just extremely courteous. But they don’t seem to like you very much.”  
“So you noticed that, did you?” Boles leaned back in his chair, then sat up and took a drink.  
“Care to tell me why?” Tali asked.  
Boles made a gesture that was something between a shrug and a cough, opened his mouth, took a breath as if to speak, then exhaled and looked down. He looked up again. “You must be from an aristocratic family. Forensic medicine in the Imperial Guard? From that to military justice? An appointment to the Federation Council? You have to be the daughter of someone important. Or else you would have been standing on the front line with a phaser rifle just like everyone else.”  
“That’s where I wanted to be. But you’re right – my family had me assigned to cataloguing corpses to make sure I didn’t become one prematurely.”  
“In spite of their carefully crafted public image, bolians are much the same. Officially a meritocracy, but that just became camouflage for aristocracy long ago. And the Boles family – wow are we important. My father, he was the crown prince of important. If he hadn’t been a rapacious, murderous sociopath, he would probably be running everything from behind the scenes right now.”  
“So they painted you with the sins of your father?”  
“Oh no. Worse. I’m not even supposed to exist. My mother nearly died in childbirth.”  
“I was curious about that. Bolian physiology is so different from – well – everyone else. Extremely acidic. I don’t even understand how it was possible for your mother to survive being impregnated.”  
“She very nearly didn’t. None of my father’s other human victims did. He had himself surgically altered to be more compatible with humans, but he was still poison to them. My mother was crippled by it. I ended up taking care of her. By the time I was seven, she was paralyzed. She didn’t live much longer. I have two half denobulan half-sisters as well. Their mother fared better – she eventually recovered from the rape. Two of her husbands hunted my father down and killed him. I was with him at the time – I was ten. I’m lucky they didn’t kill me. One of them wanted to. They argued about it for hours.”  
“That would explain Commissioner Qotor’s cryptic warning about your ‘very troubled’ past. Unless there’s something else?”  
“Not much really. I’ve been in a fight or two... They didn’t know what to do with me, so they sent me to New Hope. I’ve kind of bounced around since then. Worked on ranches wrangling livestock, if you can believe that. Hard work, but there’s never any shortage of it.”  
“You like those animals down there on P5 better than you like other people, don’t you?”  
“I’ve been designing a saddle for the Orunrunners. I’ve broken horses and camels. I think I could saddle-break an Orunrunner. I never thought a hexapod could possibly be faster than a quadruped. But you should see those Orunrunners go…”   
“Don’t you think that saddle-breaking a protected species on a reserve planet would get you into a lot of trouble?”   
Boles looked furtively to his left, then to his right, then leaned in conspiratorially and said quietly, “Don’t tell anyone and I’ll break one for you, too...”  
Tali Shae looked furtively to her left, then her right, then leaned in and said, “You’re on…”  
Boles leaned back in his chair and laughed. “Well, the design is still just in my head, but if they had left me stranded down there, I’m pretty sure I would have been riding one in a month or two…”

9.6


	7. Episode 9.7 - The Sanctuary of the Waterbirds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
The U.S.S. Hunter's Ground Operations Department, under the leadership of Lt. Tauk, arrive at the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds on Cophus II.
> 
> _Lynhart Shran popped off his seat restraints, stood up quickly and loped over to Guth, patted him on the shoulder. “Damn fine flying, kid!” There was genuine enthusiasm in the old investigator’s gravelly voice. “That was fun! Let’s do it again!” Shran squeezed Guth’s right shoulder, which turned out to be just the stimulus Guth needed to peel his fingers off the control stick..._  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
From the moment I came up with the phrase "The Library at the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds on Cophus II" I wanted to know what that place looked like..

9.7  
The Sanctuary of the Waterbirds

Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth was piloting the wagon through the highly magnetized and ionized atmosphere of Cophus II. The magnetosphere of the planet was too strong and active for safe use of the transporters. Piloting a shuttle through the shifting layers of magnetic force was treacherous and could only be done manually, using visual flight rules. The magnetosphere played havoc with the instruments. This was the kind of flying that Guth lived for. A control stick, his eyes and his gut. The inertial dampeners reduced so he could feel the wind. The entire ground operations team was strapped in on the wagon, along with Dr. Moon Sun Salek and Flight Engineer Tomos. With a dozen people in the already heavily armed and armored shuttle, the craft was very heavy and unwieldy.  
Guth used the wagon’s power to compensate, which the shuttle had plenty of. Instead of trying to dance through the massive gusts of ionized air and raw magnetic force, he used the wagon’s weight and power to crush through them. This made for an exceptionally rough ride at a high rate of speed. The craft was built to take it. The equilibriums of its passengers – not so much. By the time they reached the opening of the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds, half the ground operations crew had lost their lunch, along with Dr. Moon. Even Lt. T’Lon, the tough, young vulcan, appeared much more green than usual. Only Investigator Shran seemed unperturbed by all the turbulence – although his antennae were twitching wildly.

The Sanctuary of the Waterbirds was approachable from only one direction; it was a cave entrance masked by a massive waterfall. Guth’s instruments could not tell him exactly where the entrance was and hovering was impossible with all the wind tearing through the area. But the gusts also affected the waterfall, occasionally peeling sheets of falling water away from the cliff face to reveal the cave entrance.   
Guth flew by four times, memorizing the location of the cave opening – not much larger than the portal for the Hunter’s shuttle bay. On the fifth pass he dove straight into the opening at high speed – straight through the waterfall, bringing the wagon to a sudden halt just inside the cave and throwing his passengers hard against their seat restraints. He had warned them about this effect before leaving the Hunter’s shuttlebay, so he expected them to be braced for it. A few hundred yards further into the cave was the landing pad. This part of the journey had to be flown at a crawl to give the many birds flocking about inside the well-lit cavern time to maneuver around the wagon.  
“Beat that, Kenny Dolphin,” Guth thought triumphantly to himself as he touched down lightly and felt the landing gear flex under the craft.

Lynhart Shran popped off his seat restraints, stood up quickly and loped over to Guth, patted him on the shoulder. “Damn fine flying, kid!” There was genuine enthusiasm in the old investigator’s gravelly voice. “That was fun! Let’s do it again!” Shran squeezed Guth’s right shoulder, which turned out to be just the stimulus Guth needed to peel his fingers off the control stick.  
None of the wagon’s other passengers shared Shran’s enthusiasm about the flight. It was several minutes before they stood up and made their way to the back of the shuttle to disembark, there to be greeted by a small committee of vulcan librarians.

“Curator Tomos,” said one of these, recognizing the junior engineer as he stepped off the aft ramp of the wagon. “I hope your flight was not too eventful.”  
“It was not so much like a bird floating on the wind. More like riding a meteor,” Tomos said. “We seek Curator Hannung.”  
“I will lead you to her.”  
While the ground operations department and the two engineers followed their host deeper into the cavern, Chief Guth remained behind to ready the wagon for its return journey.

Great fissures allowed bright shafts of sunlight into the cavern and dozens of sparkling waterfalls from high above created hazy rainbows in the mist and filled well-tended basins below in which the local birds fished. A series of rope ladders and staircases hewn into rock led to various ledge gardens, worked by vulcans to provide food, medicines and other plant-based resources for the small colony.  
In contrast with the great number of smaller birds, the giant waterbirds for which the sanctuary was named were massive and powerful. These were the only birds strong enough to ride the winds of the canyon outside. Some had beaks nearly 4’ long, wingspans in excess of 30’ and they towered over their vulcan caretakers, for whom they seemed to demonstrate surprising affection – which was rewarded with grooming and care for the wounds they endured from flight in such stressful conditions.  
As the expedition from the Hunter walked further into the cavern, a formation of nearly a dozen waterbirds drifted down from the fissures above, in and out of the waterfalls, bringing enormous fish, a variety of vegetables and firewood, which they then helped the vulcans to carry to cooking fires. With their beaks open, but not moving, several of the birds made oddly familiar sounds, to which their vulcan companions replied. 2nd Lt. T’Lon turned to Tomos in genuine surprise. “They’re speaking Vulcan!”  
Tomos nodded as if this were nothing unusual. “The waterbirds are very intelligent. They learn our spoken language at an early age and are usually conversant by the time they are three years old. They live for upward of 100 years and grow more intelligent with age. This sanctuary is a joint project between vulcans and the waterbirds.”  
“Their voices almost sound vulcan, that’s why I didn’t catch it at first,” T’Lon said.  
“Wait till you hear them singing,” Tomos replied.

9.7


	8. Episode 9.8 - Fleet Admiral Scumuk's Notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
Lt. Tauk leads his team in researching Fleet Admiral Scumuk's notes, that are catalogued in the library at the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds on Cophus II.
> 
> _Books, loose papers, boxes containing unique electronic reading devices and a dizzying array of recording media, including magnetic tape, optical crystal and technologies that were not immediately recognizable were stored in a dizzying array of containers, designed to protect them from the planet’s magnetosphere, moisture, air and handling. There was no evident organization to the way that these materials were stored. In some areas, there were only high nooks reachable by rope ladders. Other storage areas were low crawlways lined with stored items..._  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
In one library, the clues to another library are unearthed...

9.8  
Fleet Admiral Scumuk’s Notes

The library was built into fissures more than a three-kilometer walk in from the entrance to the cavern.

Curator Hannung was considerably younger than Tomos, though not as young as T’Lon. At the entrance to the sanctuary’s library, she welcomed the large research group from the Hunter. Without such a guide, the Hunter’s ground operations department could well have spent weeks seeking Fleet Admiral Scumuk’s notes.   
Books, loose papers, boxes containing unique electronic reading devices and a dizzying array of recording media, including magnetic tape, optical crystal and technologies that were not immediately recognizable were stored in a dizzying array of containers, designed to protect them from the planet’s magnetosphere, moisture, air and handling. There was no evident organization to the way that these materials were stored. In some areas, there were only high nooks reachable by rope ladders. Other storage areas were low crawlways lined with stored items. The library had dozens of rooms - all following the natural flow of the cavern’s fissures, but reinforced against erosion.   
After winding through several corridors – and crawling through a few – climbing up narrow, rough-hewn staircases and down rope ladders, the Hunter’s crew were brought to a large study area – a large table hewn out of the rocky floor, surrounded by chairs and a few smaller tables. The admiral’s writings were stored nearby. The Hunter’s ground operations crew broke into teams to review everything the admiral had sent to Cophus II for storage. The admiral had taken his notes on large squares of loose paper which, when archived, were gathered into hundreds of plastic books, each of which contained 1,000 pages. Each page was preserved in a transparent, rigid plastic sleeve that would not allow the page to bend or flex. Each book was identified by a series number (starting with 1) and a date range.

Ensign Tolon’s tactical team started with Scumuk’s earliest notes, starting with book #1, translating and taking notes using cypher keys in reader pads they had brought with them. T’Lon and the two investigators worked backward from the admiral’s most recent writings for which cypher keys were available.  
This left the 8 months of the most recent writings for which no cypher key was known - Tomos and Dr. Moon worked with these materials to decipher them. Lt. Tauk, the ranking officer of the group and leader of this expedition, moved from group to group, monitoring progress, pulling common themes together and offering his mathematical expertise as needed.

9.8


	9. Episode 9.9 - Denobulan Nail Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
Kenny Dolphin learns more than he ever wanted to know about denobulan manicure/pedicure...
> 
> _“Quit playing with my butt…” Dolphin said. He followed that with a high pitched “woo” sound in response to her hand doing something fairly naughty..._  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
I remain a bit vague about how far things actually went between Kenny Dolphin and Birlaura Grevex...

9.9  
Denobulan Nail Care

Kenny Dolphin found taking care of Birlaura’s fingernails and toenails a delightful chore, if a very involved one. The tutorial for denobulan nail care was well over an hour long and extremely detailed. Keeping her nails trim, healthy, strong and neat took a large number of tools, solvents, lacquers and other chemicals. Denobulan nails grew non-stop and very thick, making them excellent for climbing and extremely dangerous in combat.   
What made the chore delightful was Birlaura, who was an outrageous flirt, and a brilliant conversationalist. She also rewarded Dolphin’s attentions with superb, expert massages.

“You know denobulans never thought about having sex with other species,” Birlaura said. “That was a human innovation. My mother remembers when the vulcans discovered humans - she was a little girl.”  
“That was about 370 years ago,” Dolphin said.  
“That sounds about right. From all the trouble you caused, everyone thought humans were going to be worse that the klingons. We were worried the vulcans wouldn’t be able to control you. But we also assumed the klingons or the nausicaans or someone else would make short work of you before you became too much of a nuisance. Our galaxy was so small back then. We stayed close to our own star system. We knew only a few spacefaring species. None of them seemed all that cuddly.”  
Birlaura lightly slapped Kenny’s butt before continuing the back massage. “Then we started hearing stories of humans and vulcans getting it on and we thought, why in this galaxy would anyone want to have sex with a human? Or worse yet a vulcan? Being a reasonably open-minded and curious species, we set out to find answers to those questions. Turns out you humans are a lot of fun in bed when you’re not all uptight about things. Vulcans are even more fun when they’re going through Pon Farr.”

“Quit playing with my butt…” Dolphin said. He followed that with a high pitched “woo” sound in response to her hand doing something fairly naughty.

“Oh what is your hang-up, Dolphin Kenny Dolphin?” Birlaura teased. “You’re no longer a married man.”  
“But you are a married woman…”  
“I’m still free. I only have two husbands. I haven’t taken my third yet. I’m still young - want to shop around. Have fun. And now that I know who you really are, I would love to have your children - just for the simple irony of it. Imagine - the man who worried so publicly about the impact of hybrid children on humanity having a secret half-denobulan love child… Come to think of it, I’m amazed you haven’t gotten propositions from women of every species - bajorans, klingons, cardassians… nausicaans…” Birlaura laid down on Dolphin’s back, hooked her feet around his, cinching his legs. She placed her hands at the base of his skull and stretched him with gentle, pulsing movements.  
“There have only been three women in my life,” Dolphin said, between gentle grunting sounds as his back stretched slightly. “Only one of them was human.”  
“Any denobulans?”  
“Well, that’s complicated. Apparently I had an affair with a woman who was half vulcan, half betazoid, but had herself surgically altered to appear denobulan. I don’t remember much about it. She used telepathy to remove herself from my conscious memory. I only have a few flashes. She turned out to be a serial killer. Very nearly killed me.”  
“That is complicated. And the vulcan girl you told me about yesterday - Pon Farr?”  
“Her first time going through it.”  
Birlaura lay on Dolphin’s back, stroked his hair. “Alas, my poor, starcrossed Dolphin Kenny Dolphin, when are you ever going to learn to let go and just live for yourself?”

9.9


	10. Episode 9.10 - A Sample of Mlady

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
Admiral Scumuk's notes reveal the source of some of the genetic information for building his killer virus.. and it came from one of the Hunter's crew members???
> 
> _Dr. Moon spoke up. “What makes BCBs0 so resilient is the computer borne aspect. The biological virus may be dead, but even with it dead, it still contains the computer borne version encoded in its RNA. Dr. Boles could be clear - all the virus in his system dead - unable to infect anyone by contact or breath. He steps through a transporter and the computer will read the code on the RNA of the dead virus, become infected and start replicating living, airborne BCBs0...”_  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
There are reasons Mlady's genetics are extremely carefully kept secret.

9.10  
A Sample of Mlady

“Lieutenant Commander Mlady is the key. From what we have been able to decipher, Dr. LaDonna Chin, under direction from Dr. Scumuk, made some adjustments to Napoleon Boles’ genome. The admiral went so far as to note he instructed Dr. Chin to tell Boles that he needed standard chromosomal adjustment due to compatibility issues between his bolian and human heritage. The actual adjustment was borrowed from Mlady’s genetic record - which the admiral was one of only 17 people to have access to.” Ensign Tolon Reeves was in the sanctuary’s communication center.  
The communication array at the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds had a tremendous amount of power, which was needed to punch a clear signal through the extremely active magnetosphere of Cophus II. Lt. T’Lon, Ensign Tolon and Lt. Moon Sun Salek were in conversation with Lt. Commander Mlady, Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder and Dr. Chrissiana Trei.

“The changes were made on 8p21 and several locations on 14 and a few on 16. Even with the differences between bolian and human physiology, those locations serve very much the same purpose - according to Scumuk. The locations used from Dr. Mlady’s genome were very different. We have the details. Given a sample, we should be able to replicate a genetic treatment that should give infected persons the ability to kill the BCBs0 virus in their system,” Tolon said.  
“How large a sample?” asked Mlady.  
“Microscopic,” Tolon responded. “Dr. Scumuk synthesized it from the genomic study you included in your dissertation. Which took him a very long time and several failed attempts. We can move much faster working from the…” Tolon paused awkwardly, “…the original, if you will. Of course we need to verify - one point of verification is whether the BCBs0 found in Dr. Boles’ bloodstream is dead or still viable.”  
“There is a complication,” Mlady said. It was not a question - it was clear from the expressions on both Dr. Tolon and Dr. Moon.  
Dr. Moon spoke up. “What makes BCBs0 so resilient is the computer borne aspect. The biological virus may be dead, but even with it dead, it still contains the computer borne version encoded in its RNA. Dr. Boles could be clear - all the virus in his system dead - unable to infect anyone by contact or breath. He steps through a transporter and the computer will read the code on the RNA of the dead virus, become infected and start replicating living, airborne BCBs0.”  
“What are the chances of reinfection?” asked Dr. Jazz.  
“Zero, or next to it,” said Dr. Tolon. “Once the body has the key, BCBs0 gets turned off on contact. But the admiral’s notes do not say anything about how to disable the computer borne aspect of BCBs0. Or if they do, we have not found it yet. And we have completed deciphering the most recent notes.”  
“What are the chances you will yet come across that information?” Mlady asked.  
T’Lon answered. “Lieutenant Tauk considers it extremely unlikely. However he believes there is something far more important in the admiral’s notes. We are about two days away from completing the review he asked for.”  
“Why are you telling me this? Why isn’t he on this call?”  
“This communication center is located at a very high altitude. Lieutenant Tauk couldn’t make the climb and even if he could, the atmosphere is very thin up here. He has not been having an easy time with the atmosphere in the sanctuary,” T’Lon replied.  
Dr. Jazz picked up a pad, started making entries. “Lieutenant, I want you to return to the wagon and retrieve one of the emergency breather units. I am sending you a program that will alter the mix it generates to give Tauk a better breathing environment. Make sure he uses the breather - it should make him feel better and help him stand up to the return journey. The sooner he leaves that environment, the better.”  
“Is Tauk still working on the admiral’s notes?” Mlady asked.  
“He was when I left him,” T’Lon answered.  
“Two days,” Mlady said. “Then you are ordered to bring him back. If he gets worse in spite of the breather unit, bring him back immediately - the entire team - we are not risking a second trip through that atmosphere given the telemetry I reviewed. Dr. Tolon, I want you to remain on this channel. Work with Dr. Jazz to design the treatment for the survivors of Paleonus V and the Atul Goel. Dr. Jazz, let me know exactly what you need a sample of and I will provide it. Dr. Moon - I want you to standby to work with Dr. Carrera to disable the computer-borne aspect of the BCBs0 virus. I will have him contact you within the hour.”

9.10


	11. Episode 9.11 - Destim Ski

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth has a conversation with Destim Ski - an entirely different kind of flight specialist...
> 
> _The bird started speaking with a deep, fluid voice that sounded almost like a vulcan – if a little too deep and resonant. The giant beak was open slightly but barely moved – the bird was producing this speech somewhere deep in its throat. “Destim Ski has never seen a shuttle this large and was remarking on your flight. He said he thought you were flying a rock at first,” the vulcan caretaker told him..._  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
The moment I came up with the words "The Sanctuary of the Waterbirds on Cophus II" I knew I had to go there and meet the waterbirds...

9.11  
Destim Ski

“So what would I ask a giant bird?” Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth mused to himself. He was seated in a lounge chair near the wagon and one of the waterbirds had come over to inspect the craft. One of the vulcan caretakers had noticed the creature’s interest and joined them. Guth remained seated, watching the enormous animal walking with its feet and what appeared to be its elbows, its wings folded.   
The bird started speaking with a deep, fluid voice that sounded almost like a vulcan – if a little too deep and resonant. The giant beak was open slightly but barely moved – the bird was producing this speech somewhere deep in its throat. “Destim Ski has never seen a shuttle this large and was remarking on your flight. He said he thought you were flying a rock at first,” the vulcan caretaker told him.  
“The wagon was made to stand up to harsh conditions. What it lacks in grace, it makes up for in structural integrity and power.” Guth smiled as he heard his words translated into the vulcan language for the benefit of a giant bird. It was a rather terrifying creature to be so close to - that beak could easily snap him in half and he had seen these birds carrying fish more than twice his size secured firmly in their talons. Those talons could easily skewer a man. But Guth had watched these birds over the past few days and was surprised at how gentle and affectionate they were with their vulcan caretakers.  
“Destim Ski would like to know if there is enough room for him to enter the craft,” the vulcan caretaker said.  
“I don’t know your name,” Guth said.  
“I am Maa,” she responded.  
“Dewayne Guth. There is only one way to find out,” Guth said. He walked around to the back of the wagon and said, “Open.”

The bird named Destim Ski followed him, then stepped carefully out of the way as the aft portal opened, revealing the interior of the craft. Guth stepped on board. Destim was able to squeeze into the rear staging area of the craft, then craned his neck into the space between the brig units so that he could look into the flight operation booth.   
Maa managed to crowd into the back of the shuttle and crawl under Destim Ski’s wing. As the bird spoke fluently, she translated. “I cannot imagine flying in a machine - not feeling the wind under my wings.”  
“Oh, I can definitely feel the wind - at least when I reduce the inertial dampeners. We really felt it on the way down.”  
Destim Ski made an odd clucking sound, then slowly and carefully backed out of the wagon. It took a several minutes for the giant waterbird to free himself from the shuttle. Maa simply laid on the floor of the shuttle where she was until the giant bird had shrugged its body free of the wagon. Guth looked at her quizzically.  
“He was laughing, Mr. Guth,” she said.  
Destim Ski spoke again and Maa translated. “Perhaps someday someone will bring a craft large enough for me to fly in. I would like that. I would like to see what my world looks like from the outside.”  
Guth smiled as he followed Maa out of the wagon. “Actually, I would love to know what it feels like to fly the way you do. It has to be so free - no machines - just to spread your wings and catch the wind. I don’t think there is any way I could ever feel that.”  
Maa raised an eyebrow as Destim Ski responded. “Actually, you can to some small extent. Destim Ski is willing to share his memories with you. I can serve as a conduit…”

9.11


	12. Episode 9.12 - The Moon/Sun/Kim Upgrades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
Dr. Kim proves vital in counteracting the computer-borne aspect of the Weapon BCBs0 Virus...
> 
> _“That is the part that I don’t understand,” said Rianila Qotor. “I was told the computer-borne aspect of BCBs0 would take months and probably years to crack. I have heard of Dr. Carrera’s reputation, but he was the one who gave us that estimate.”_  
_Tali Shae managed to shrug with both her shoulders and her antennae. “I have never encountered anyone like him. But he wasn’t the one who cracked it. Apparently it was largely Dr. Kim.”_  
_“The hologram? I have never heard of a hologram that could operate at that high a level,” said Dr. Vadero..._  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
This is the beginning of a story arc for the Tactical Medical Hologram...

9.12  
The Moon/Sun/Kim Upgrades

“Dr. Boles’ viral load is now too low to register. We have taken samples from every organ, every tissue, and have run a full genomic screening.” Dr. Phlesc was reporting to Dr. Gyna Vadero and Commissioner Rianila Qotor on the Vyvya. “We can confirm that his genome was significantly altered, and in ways that will become problematic for him over the next few years. We can make the same changes to our infected survivors and their systems should respond by killing the BCBs0 in their systems.”  
“But can Dr. Boles be safely transported?” Vadero asked.  
“That will be the test,” said Dr. Tali Shae, standing next to Dr. Phlesc on the quarantine unit. “We have made the Moon/Sun/Kim upgrades to the transporter system. If this works properly, the transporter should recognize any programming written into a genetic sequence or other biological material, disable it during transport, and in the specific case of BCBs0, remove it entirely. Dr. Carrera has reported that Dr. Kim, one of our holographic doctors who was infected with the computer-borne aspect of the virus, has now been cleared of the BCBs0 code.”  
“That is the part that I don’t understand,” said Rianila Qotor. “I was told the computer-borne aspect of BCBs0 would take months and probably years to crack. I have heard of Dr. Carrera’s reputation, but he was the one who gave us that estimate.”  
Tali Shae managed to shrug with both her shoulders and her antennae. “I have never encountered anyone like him. But he wasn’t the one who cracked it. Apparently it was largely Dr. Kim.”  
“The hologram? I have never heard of a hologram that could operate at that high a level,” said Dr. Vadero.  
“Dr. Moon and Dr. Sun created an artificial environment for her and gave her an enormous amount of processing speed. Apparently it took her 37 years of concerted effort to crack the virus. Which she experienced over the period of about 18 hours,” Tali responded. “From what I am told, she has altered her appearance to appear older and has developed so much personally that additional resources are being added to her environment. She now has an additional specialty in computer engineering and they are planning to increase her response profile to make use of these new abilities.”  
“How soon can you test the transporter upgrades - and will that run any risk of infecting the protected areas of the quarantine unit?” asked Commissioner Qotor.  
“At the moment, the isolation transport unit is restricted to its own pad system inside the isolation area. We will beam Dr. Boles from one pad to another within the isolation area, then shut down the pads with a physical cutoff and run a diagnostic on the isolation transporter system. Dr. Boles is installing the physical cutoff systems on the isolation pads now,” Dr. Phlesc answered. “We should be ready to test within the hour.”  
“Dr. Vadero - any concerns?” asked Qotor.  
“I have a great many concerns regarding BCBs0, but not with this phase of testing.” Vadero answered.  
“Dr. Shae, Dr. Phlesc - you may test when ready. Thank Dr. Boles for his cooperation with this process.” Commissioner Qotor cut the transmission.  
“Maybe she should thank Dr. Boles in person?” Dr. Phlesc mused.  
“What do you estimate the chances of that are?” Tali asked.  
“I wouldn’t hold my breath,” Phlesc answered.

9.12


	13. Episode 9.13 - Tauk's Notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
Dr. Jazz delivers bad news about Lt. Tauk's condition..
> 
> _Dr. Jazz had a serious expression. He called for Dr. Raj to keep an eye on Tauk and ushered Justice Irons and Lt. T'Lon into the medical office. "I'm not so certain recuperation is possible. His immune system is attacking his lung tissue. We've tried to hold it off, but at the moment he's too weak to survive surgery and I'm not certain if any course of treatment can help him at this point. You might want to be prepared to say your farewells..."_  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
I had envisioned from the start having a character with a terminal illness - who was required by his culture to reject the only available cure.

9.13  
Tauk’s Notes

The Hunter broke orbit of Cophus II the moment Chief Dewayne Guth brought the wagon into the shuttlebay. Justice Minerva Irons was not yet convinced of the destination Lt. Tauk was recommending, but the Paleonus system lay along that path and the decision to take the Hunter into real danger could be made along the way.  
Tauk was so insistent on the importance of this new mission that Irons went to visit him in sickbay, where he was undergoing evaluation following a less than optimal reaction to the shifting atmosphere of Cophus II. It took the young ferengi a few minutes to build up enough breath to launch into a conversation.

"Fleet Admiral Scumuk never referred to Cophus II as 'The Library'." Tauk's voice was weak and he had to stop often to take a drink or use the breather. "There were references to 'The Library' throughout his notes until the last eight months when he changed his cypher. After that, he never mentioned it. He always referred to Cophus II as "the Sanctuary" and he visited every 20 years or so. When he refers to 'The Library' until the last few times it is always as a place he was searching for. But from the last references to it, I think he found it. And I think he found it in the Beta Quadrant - in the Dead Zone."  
"He seemed quite insistent that someone needs to go there," Irons said.  
"There are a lot of references to the Dead Zone in his last entries before he changed to his final cypher," Tauk said. "And something about gamma radiation and some sort of hulk. After he changed his cypher, it was as if someone else had taken over writing his notes. An entirely different personality - clinical - monomaniacal - focused entirely on creating the Weapon BCBs0 virus - which he referred to exclusively as 'my bolian bug'." Tauk had to stop and use the breather for several minutes. It was clear he had much more to say.  
"It can wait, Lieutenant. You need to take some time and recuperate," Irons said.  
Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder was hovering, waiting to administer some sort of treatment, but the ferengi shook his head emphatically. "No," he managed to squeak, "no, I don't think it can." The effort was too much for him and he lapsed into a fit of coughing.  
"I don't think you have a choice," said Dr. Jazz. "Use a pad. Write it down. You'll probably be able to communicate it more quickly that way. Especially if you have a lot more to say. Your lungs are needed just for breathing for now. No more talking."  
Lt. Tauk grasped for a pad, but he was too weak to hold it and it clattered to the floor as his body was overcome with feeble coughing, blood seeping from his mouth. Dr. Jazz administered a light sedative and Tauk's coughing eased, allowing him to sleep fitfully, barely able to breathe.  
2nd Lt. T'Lon, who had remained quietly seated nearby, said. "I will pull together all the references to 'the Library,' the 'Dead Zone,' gamma radiation and this 'hulk' from his notes." She turned to Dr. Jazz. "Let him know I'm on it - and that I'm putting the entire team on it. It will set his mind at ease so he can concentrate on recuperation."  
Dr. Jazz had a serious expression. He called for Dr. Raj to keep an eye on Tauk and ushered Justice Irons and Lt. T'Lon into the medical office. "I'm not so certain recuperation is possible. His immune system is attacking his lung tissue. We've tried to hold it off, but at the moment he's too weak to survive surgery and I'm not certain if any course of treatment can help him at this point. You might want to be prepared to say your farewells."  
"How long do you think he has?" Irons asked.  
"Hours. Days maybe. Or he might hold on for another week or two, but I don't see him improving much. There just isn't that much viable lung tissue left," Jazz said.  
Irons turned toward T'Lon. "Get back to your team and get started. We will be at Paleonus V soon, where we will relieve our bolian benefactors of both Dr. Tali Shae and Dr. Napoleon Boles. Apparently the computer virus tests were successful in breaking the computer borne aspect of BCBs0 and the bolians are rather anxious to be rid of Dr. Boles." She turned to Dr. Jazz. "Sam, let us know if Lieutenant Tauk takes a turn for the worse."  
Dr. Jazz nodded, his bajoran family earring jingling lightly.  
  


9.13


	14. Episode 9.14 - Fleet Admiral Scumuk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
Justice Minerva Irons and Dr. Tali Shae discuss the final words of the greatest healer and the most decorated officer in the history of Star Fleet.
> 
> _Velesa could see confusion and madness returning to Scumuk's eyes, his expression; she could hear it in his voice. The admiral was making a supreme effort to hold on to whatever scraps of sanity he had left._  
_"She must go to the Library! It is in my notes - how to find it. The Library is the only gamma radiation where she can... FELIX!! He will not let me say his name! Telix!! Madness - he does not care about life! He does not even care about vulcan life. All he cares for is revenge... A vulcan, obsessed with revenge to revive the hulk. She must revive the hulk! That is our only hope..."_  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
It seems there are a lot of elderly vulcans in my story. There is a reason for this. And not just that vulcans tend to get very old...

9.14  
Fleet Admiral Scumuk

Dr. Velesa was present for the great healer's final words. Vulcans did not respond well to quadropseudoprozadiazomine and although the drug had apparently freed the elderly admiral from the mind control that had been established over him, he was succumbing to the secondary effects. For most species these could last up to 30 hours, but for vulcans the effects were often permanent.  
Five days of extreme hallucinations and madness had taken their toll on Scumuk, but he quite suddenly had a few moments of clarity. "Dr. Velesa... That is your name, is it not?"  
Velesa came and sat down beside the admiral, but she did not take his hand. He was still enormously strong and there was the additional risk that he might attempt a mind meld. "Yes, Admiral. I am Dr. Velesa. How are you feeling?”  
"I am dying, doctor. I believe that Justice Minerva Irons is in the vicinity?"  
"She is on a mission to Cophus II."  
"That is good. She is where she needs to be. Minerva Irons is the right person in the right place at the right time. You must relay a message to her for me. It is vitally important - nothing in my life has been more important. Or in hers."  
Velesa could see confusion and madness returning to Scumuk's eyes, his expression; she could hear it in his voice. The admiral was making a supreme effort to hold on to whatever scraps of sanity he had left.  
"She must go to the Library! It is in my notes - how to find it. The Library is the only gamma radiation where she can... FELIX!! He will not let me say his name! Telix!! Madness - he does not care about life! He does not even care about vulcan life. All he cares for is revenge... A vulcan, obsessed with revenge to revive the hulk. She must revive the hulk! That is our only hope. Planetary shields are not enough. It's the gamma dead zone. The Library only FELIX!! Let me say what I need to say Squevix!!" The admiral grasped his head and howled in anguish - a horrible sound from a vulcan - at once pathetic and terrifying.  
He reached over and grasped Velesa's coat. "Minerva! You must revive the hulk! You must go to the Library - it is the only place you can learn how. It's all about gamma radiation. Gamma... gamma...' The elderly admiral's hand fell from Dr. Velessa's coat. He looked up at her again, his eyes unfocused. "You are a remarkably beautiful woman." The light finally receded from the old vulcan's eyes. A moment later his breath stopped.  
Dr. Velesa did not call for a revival cart. There was nothing left to revive. The readout had shown her the admiral's brain waves had ceased moments before his breathing.

Dr. Tali Shae looked over at Justice Irons as the recording ended. “Thus ends the greatest medical mind in, well, all of written history… At least in the Alpha Quadrant… Minerva, I think we should show this to the executive staff."  
"Tauk should see it," Irons said. "If he regains enough strength."  
"Dr. Boles has an idea that might give Lieutenant Tauk a little more time," Tali said. "It's a crazy idea based on a procedure he developed for some rancher's prize cow, but the way he described it, it just might work. I don't think we have anything to lose at this point."  
"Let's allow Lieutenant Tauk to make that decision," Irons said.

9 - The Library   
  


Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter: (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady 

Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim

Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
Navigator Johanna Imex  
Navigator Eli Strahl  
Ensign Ethan Phillips  
Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar

Director of Ground Operations - Lt. Tauk  
Asst. Ground Ops Dir. - 2nd Lt. T’Lon   
Investigator Lynhart Shran  
Investigator Buttons N'gumbo  
Ensign Tolon Reeves  
Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys

Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
Transporter Engineer K'rok  
Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
Flight Engineer Tomos  
Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon


End file.
